Search results for ""imperial college press""

This book focuses on mesh (grid) enhancement techniques — specifically, the use of selected elliptic methods for both structured and unstructured meshes associated with computational physics applications. Mesh enhancement is the process in which an existing mesh is modified to better meet the requirements of the physics application. To provide the reader with sufficient background information, seven of the nine chapters contain a summary of the numerical simulation process, basic background on mesh terminology and generation approaches, computational geometry, discretization of differential equations, methods of solving linear and nonlinear algebraic systems, geometry of surfaces in Euclidean space, and general elliptic methods for mesh enhancement. Furthermore, these chapters use the concept of harmonic coordinates to develop a unifying framework, the Laplace-Beltrami system, which is the governing principle of the book. The final two chapters apply this scheme, along with other selected elliptic methods, to various structured and unstructured example problems.

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In a brilliant flash about fourteen billion years ago, time and matter were born in a single instant of creation. An immensely hot and dense universe began its rapid expansion everywhere, creating space where there was no space and time where there was no time. In the intense fire just after the beginning, the lightest elements were forged, later to form primordial clouds that eventually evolved into galaxies, stars, and planets. This evolution is the story told in this fascinating book. Interwoven with the storyline are short pieces on the pioneering men and women who revealed those wonders to us.

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Cosmology is an unusual science with an unusual history. This book examines the formative years of modern cosmology from the perspective of its interaction with religious thought. As the first study of its kind, it reveals how closely associated the development of cosmology has been with considerations of a philosophical and religious nature. From nineteenth-century thermodynamics to the pioneering cosmological works of Georges Lemaître and Arthur E Milne, religion has shaped parts of modern cosmological theory. By taking the religious component seriously, a new and richer history of cosmology emerges.

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A wide variety of materials is being used in biomedical engineering for various functions. This includes a range of ceramics, polymers and metallic materials for implants and medical devices. A major question is how these materials will perform inside the body, which is very sensitive to alien materials. The material must not only survive to perform its intended function but also not initiate any damage to the surrounding tissue or induce a wider health problem. The service characteristics of implanted materials are of vital concern to health treatments that alleviate ageing.This book collates information and provides a concise text on the performance of different materials used in devices and implants. The knowledge presented is critical for a biomedical engineer, especially for the purpose of selecting the right materials. In addition, topics such as allergies and infection, tissue scaffolds, and drug delivery are reviewed.

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This book provides the first systematic discourse on a very peculiar approach to the theory of strongly correlated systems. Hubbard X-operators have been known for a long time but have not been widely used because of their awkward algebra. The book shows that it is possible to deal with X-operators even in the general multilevel local eigenstate system, and not just in the case of the nondegenerate Hubbard model. X-operators provide the natural language for describing quasiparticles in the Hubbard subbands with unusual doping and temperature-dependent band structures.The X-operator diagram technique is presented in detail, so that a newcomer with knowledge of the usual Fermi/Bose operator diagram technique can use the former after reading the book.Examples are taken from the theory of high-Tc superconductivity, rare-earth compounds with strong magnetic anisotropy and quantum oscillations in strongly correlated systems.

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This book provides an overview of recent, predominantly European, thinking on the issues and challenges for innovation management in the modern, knowledge-based economy. The topic is explored in four directions: the growing importance of services and of innovation in services; the growing interest in competence-based approaches of strategy and innovation; the role of technology in innovation processes; and the increasing importance of knowledge management in innovation management. Each direction is briefly introduced by the editor. The contributions come from universities and management schools in Germany, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, The Netherlands and the United States.

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Recent discoveries of new materials and improvements in calorimetric techniques have given new impetus to the subject of specific heat. Nevertheless, there is a serious lack of literature on the subject. This invaluable book, which goes some way towards remedying that, is concerned mainly with the specific heat of matter at ordinary temperatures. It discusses the principles that underlie the theory of specific heat and considers a number of theoretical models in some detail. The subject matter ranges from traditional materials to those recently discovered — heavy fermion compounds, high temperature superconductors, spin glasses and so on — and includes a large number of figures, tables and references. The book will be particularly useful for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as academics and researchers.

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The concept of dependence permeates the Earth and its inhabitants in a most profound manner. Examples of interdependent meteorological phenomena in nature and interdependence in the medical, social, and political aspects of our existence, not to mention the economic structures, are too numerous to be cited individually. Moreover, the dependence is obviously not deterministic but of a stochastic nature. However, it seems that none of the departments of statistics, engineering, economics and mathematics in the academic institutions throughout the world offer courses dealing with dependence concepts and measures.This book can thus be viewed as an attempt to remedy the situation, and it has been written for a graduate course or a seminar on correlation and dependence concepts and measures. A modest background in mathematical statistics and probability and integral calculus is required. The book is not a full-scale expedition up another statistical Alp. Rather, it is a tour over a somewhat neglected but important terrain. The chapter on correlation is written for a layman.

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This book contains recent inaugural lectures by professors of environmental science and technology at Imperial College in London. They cover a variety of topics, ranging from the Earth's climate to pests and pesticides, illustrating the diverse and interdisciplinary nature of environmental problems.They are written by leading authorities in their disciplines but at a level that makes them accessible to all students of the environment.

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This unique advanced textbook provides a clear and comprehensive description of the field of gene delivery, gene therapy and genetic pharmacology, with descriptions of the main gene transfer vectors and a set of selected therapeutic applications, along with safety considerations.The use of gene transfer is exponentially growing in the scientific and medical communities for day-to-day cell biology experiments and swift development of revolutionary gene therapy strategies. In this advanced textbook, more than 25 leading scientists, world-renowned in their respective fields, come together to provide a clear and comprehensive description of gene delivery, gene therapy and genetic pharmacology.This educational introduction to the main gene transfer vectors and selected therapeutic applications provides the background material needed to further explore the subject as well as relevant research literature. It will thus be invaluable to Master, PhD or MD students, post-doctoral scientists or medical doctors, as well as any scientist wishing to deliver a gene or synthetic nucleotide, or develop a gene therapy strategy. Furthermore, the textbook's simple and synthetic content will be of value to any reader interested in the biological and medical revolution derived from the elucidation of the human genome.

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Anaerobic technology has become widely accepted by the environmental industry as a cost-effective alternative to the conventional aerobic process. In addition, with the intrinsic advantages of energy saving, reduced sludge yield, and production of biofuel, anaerobic process will be the favored green treatment technology for sustainable environment in years to come.Written by 40 renowned experts from 13 countries/regions, this book consists of 18 chapters compiling state-of-the-art information on new developments in various aspects of anaerobic technology. These include development of new types of reactors, uses of molecular techniques for microbial studies and mathematical modeling, productions of bio-hydrogen by fermentation and microbial electrolysis cell, as well as broadening applications to the treatment of municipal wastewater, effluents from chemical industry and agricultural wastes with high lignocellulose content.

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This book represents the coming together of a number of internationally renowned scholars from science, philosophy, law and social science. Each author presents a distinctive and critical account of the current ethical, social and jurisprudential issues concerning stem cell science: together covering both its research beginnings, and the future translation into the clinical setting. Original to this volume is an emphasis on the inter-state implications of developments in stem cell science from the perspective of a truly global collaboration of leading authors. Academics and policy-makers will find it an invaluable contribution to the socio-political and ethical discourse of stem cell science.

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Networks provide a very useful way to describe a wide range of different data types in biology, physics and elsewhere. Apart from providing a convenient tool to visualize highly dependent data, networks allow stringent mathematical and statistical analysis.In recent years, much progress has been achieved to interpret various types of biological network data such as transcriptomic, metabolomic and protein interaction data as well as epidemiological data. Of particular interest is to understand the organization, complexity and dynamics of biological networks and how these are influenced by network evolution and functionality.This book reviews and explores statistical, mathematical and evolutionary theory and tools in the understanding of biological networks. The book is divided into comprehensive and self-contained chapters, each of which focuses on an important biological network type, explains concepts and theory and illustrates how these can be used to obtain insight into biologically relevant processes and questions. There are chapters covering metabolic, transcriptomic, protein interaction and epidemiological networks as well as chapters that deal with theoretical and conceptual material. The authors, who contribute to the book, are active, highly regarded and well-known in the network community.

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Many biological systems and objects are intrinsically fuzzy as their properties and behaviors contain randomness or uncertainty. In addition, it has been shown that exact or optimal methods have significant limitation in many bioinformatics problems. Fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic are ideal to describe some biological systems/objects and provide good tools for some bioinformatics problems. This book comprehensively addresses several important bioinformatics topics using fuzzy concepts and approaches, including measurement of ontological similarity, protein structure prediction/analysis, and microarray data analysis. It also reviews other bioinformatics applications using fuzzy techniques.

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This book uses history to introduce central issues in the philosophy of chemistry. Mobilizing the theme of impurity, it explores the tradition of chemistry's negative image. It then argues for the positive philosophical value of chemistry, reflecting its characteristic practical engagement with the material world. The book concludes with some ethical reflections concerning chemistry's orientations in the twenty-first century.The authors have previously both offered significant contributions to the history and philosophy of chemistry.

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This unique book explores the definition, sources and role of randomness. A joyful discussion with many non-mathematical and mathematical examples leads to the identification of three sources of randomness: randomness due to irreversibility which inhibits us from extracting whatever rules may underlie a process, randomness due to our inability to have infinite power (chaos), and randomness due to many interacting systems. Here, all sources are found to have something in common: infinity. The discussion then moves to the physical system (our universe). Through the quantum mechanical character of small scales, the second law of thermodynamics and chaos, randomness is shown to be an intrinsic property of nature — this is consistent with the three sources of randomness identified above. Finally, an explanation is given as to why rules and randomness cannot exist by themselves, but instead have to coexist. Many examples are presented, ranging from pure mathematical to natural and social processes, that clearly demonstrate how the combination of rules and randomness produces the world we live in.

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Advances in Tissue Engineering is a unique volume and the first of its kind to bring together leading names in the field of tissue engineering and stem cell research. A relatively young science, tissue engineering can be seen in both scientific and sociological contexts and successes in the field are now leading to clinical reality. This book attempts to define the path from basic science to practical application. A contribution from the UK Stem Cell Bank and opinions of venture capitalists offer a variety of viewpoints, and exciting new areas of stem cell biology are highlighted. With over fifty stellar contributors, this book presents the most up-to-date information in this very topical and exciting field.

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The Tao of Innovation is the first book to blend Eastern philosophy with tried-and-true innovation strategies. It presents a holistic, intuitive and practical approach to developing game-changing innovation.Having over 30 years of real-world global corporate, entrepreneurial, and consulting experience, and more than 10 years of teaching innovation and entrepreneurship to thousands of students in the East and West, the authors have distilled the most influential thinking on innovation into a holistic set of nine key innovation questions that every innovator must answer throughout the innovation cycle. These provocations apply to any business or organization and illuminate fundamental principles and practices of successful innovation. The Tao of Innovation's use of nature's fundamental elements and the yin-yang's balance of opposing forces as metaphors, provide simple ways to navigate the complexities of business and innovation. They blend art, science, and Eastern and Western philosophies of what it takes to be an innovator.This book is written for individuals who have a passion for initiating change but struggle to find a process or methodology that helps them translate their dream into practical action steps that will get them through implementation. It aims to help organizations of all types proactively stay ahead in a rapidly changing world and change the world for the better.In short, this book is a fresh East-meets-West approach to innovation, helping readers develop a strategy to implement real change and ultimately achieve their innovation dream.

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This widely acclaimed text, now in its sixth edition and translated into many languages, continues to present a clear, simple and concise introduction to chemical thermodynamics. An examination of equilibrium in the everyday world of mechanical objects provides a starting point for an accessible account of the factors that determine equilibrium in chemical systems. This straightforward approach leads students to a thorough understanding of the basic principles of thermodynamics, which are then applied to a wide range of physical chemical systems. The book also discusses the problems of non-ideal solutions and the concept of activity, and provides an introduction to the molecular basis of thermodynamics. Over six editions, the views of teachers of the subject and their students have been incorporated. Reference to the phase rule has been included in this edition and the notation has been revised to conform to current IUPAC recommendations. Students taking courses in thermodynamics will continue to find this popular book an excellent introductory text.

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This important book deals with the modeling and design of higher-order single-stage delta-sigma modulators. It provides an overview of the architectures, the quantizer models, the design techniques and the implementation issues encountered in the study of the delta-sigma modulators. A number of applications are discussed, with emphasis on use in the design of analog-to-digital converters and in frequency synthesis. The book is education- rather than research-oriented, containing numerical examples and unsolved problems. It is aimed at introducing the final-year undergraduate, the graduate student or the electronic engineer to this field.

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This book provides the reader with an explanation of the origin and establishment of quantum mechanics, with the mathematics in a digestible form, together with a descriptive survey of later developments up to the present day. The mathematical treatment closely follows the original treatment, but in modern terms, using uniform symbolism as much as possible and with simplifications (e.g. the use of one dimension instead of three) to avoid unnecessarily complicated-looking mathematics.Containing an extensive bibliography and useful appendices as well as references to original works, reviews, and biographies, the reader is well-equipped to delve further into the subject. In addition to its importance for those studying physics, it is also valuable for those studying the history of science.

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Two recent major trends in today's complex and competitive high technology global society have underscored the importance for a textbook on strategic technology management. The first is the desire of major global corporations and high technology firms to hire graduates who are able to understand engineering and science, and make sound strategic business decisions. The second is the increasing interest among engineering and science students to take courses in business management.This invaluable book attempts to bridge business and scientific management practices so as to foster better understanding between the two entities. The second edition is updated with interesting case studies on biomedical and renewable technologies.

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This book treats the Stark effect of a hydrogenic atom or ion in a homogeneous electric field. It begins with a thorough review of previous work in this field since 1926. After the Schrödinger equation has been separated with respect to time dependence, centre of mass motion and internal motion, followed by a discussion of its eigenfunctions, the exact development in time of the probability amplitude for a decaying state is obtained by means of a formula analogous to the Fock-Krylov theorem. From this formula one obtains by means of the phase-integral approximation generated from a particular base function non-relativistic formulas for profiles, energies and half-widths of the Stark levels. These formulas are then transformed into formulas expressed in terms of complete elliptic integrals. The formulas thus obtained are used for the calculation of energies and half-widths of 198 different Stark states, which are compared with the corresponding results obtained by other authors with the use of other methods. An analysis of this material indicates that the energy values obtained by the phase-integral method are at least as accurate as those obtained by other methods in more than half of the 198 cases. The book presents one of the most comprehensive asymptotic treatments of the Stark effect in atomic hydrogen that have been published.

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This book has been developed over many years from several popular courses taught to students at both Birmingham and London universities. It provides an important step in introducing principles and concepts within the field of toxicology. The underlying mechanisms of toxicity are highlighted through examples taken from gases, minerals, plants, fungi, bacteria, marine creatures, industrial chemicals and pharmacological agents.In this second edition, the text has been completely revised and expanded with the addition of six new chapters — carbon monoxide, hydrofluoric acid, lead, mushroom, toxins, paracetamol, paraquat and diquat. Each chapter is self-sufficient, enabling readers to dip into chapters of interest at random without any lack of understanding. The book is informative, with numerous clinical details, and will appeal to those who wish to delve into this fascinating subject.

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This unique book provides a unified and systematic account of internal, external and unsteady slow viscous flows, including the latest advances of the last decade, some of which are due to the author. The book shows how the method of eigenfunctions, in conjunction with least squares, can be used to solve problems of low Reynolds number flows, including three-dimensional internal and unsteady flows, which until recently were considered intractable. Although the methods used are quantitative, much stress is laid on understanding the qualitative nature of these intriguing flows. A secondary purpose of the book is to explain how the complex eigenfunction method can be used to solve problems in science and engineering.Although primarily aimed at graduate students, academics and research engineers in the areas of fluid mechanics and applied mathematics, care has been taken, through the use of numerous diagrams and much discussion, to explain to the non-specialist the qualitative features of these complex flows.

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This engaging book provides a state-of-the-art introduction to the rapidly evolving field of mechanical circulatory support therapy in the care of patients with advanced heart failure. It is aimed at healthcare teams around the world who are involved in patient care, research, and teaching of advanced heart failure; healthcare professionals in training; and interested lay persons.In particular, this book• serves as a comprehensive resource and practice guide on all aspects of mechanical circulatory support therapy, starting with an overview on heart failure management and then continuing with the referral and evaluation, the care before and after mechanical circulatory support implantation, the analysis of outcomes and complications, as well as a description of research and societal perspectives in the field of mechanical circulatory support therapy;• is founded on the expertise of Columbia University Medical Center (New York City), which has one of the most renowned heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, and heart transplantation programs in the world;• takes a multidisciplinary integrated healthcare team approach, including the perspectives of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurses, coordinators, social workers, psychologists, physical therapists, financial experts, and bioethicists; and• provides in a unique way the complementary viewpoints from the expert healthcare team's as well as the patient's and family's perspectives, with patient vignettes interspersed throughout the entire text.

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Although textbooks on the physics of condensed matter consider non-covalent interactions in detail, their application for analysis of protein properties is often poorly presented or omitted. On the other hand, books on biochemistry, molecular modeling or molecular simulation introduce these interactions in the context of the corresponding topic, which sometimes results in superficial explanations of their nature. This book succeeds in uniting comprehensive considerations of non-covalent interactions with the specificity of their application in protein sciences.The ideal aid for students of physics or chemistry, with interests in biology and biophysics, the book can also be useful for students of biology, biochemistry, or biomedicine who want to extend their knowledge of how protein properties are described at the molecular level.

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This book adopts a “show and tell” approach to guiding readers in the area of industrial wastewater treatment and the facilities associated with such treatment. It assumes the reader is familiar with wastewater treatment theory but may be unfamiliar with the reasons why certain unit processes or equipment are included in practice, how these work, and why they fail therein. Industrial wastewaters are extremely varied and this complicates their treatment and discussion. Numerous tables showing industrial wastewater characteristics and photographs of facilities are provided so that the reader can better appreciate industrial wastewater treatment and its “culture” in Asia, and gain a degree of familiarity with the subject unachievable if only text descriptions were used. The book aims to provide a link between theory and practice. It does not only cover typical textbook material but also includes much information that would usually be accessible only to persons who have handled wastewaters and treatment facilities personally. The numerous examples provided have been drawn from the author's own field experience over two decades in Asia.

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This textbook provides the first systematic presentation of the theory of stochastic differential equations with Markovian switching. It presents the basic principles at an introductory level but emphasizes current advanced level research trends. The material takes into account all the features of Ito equations, Markovian switching, interval systems and time-lag. The theory developed is applicable in different and complicated situations in many branches of science and industry.

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This unique book describes the science and technology of silicon carbide (SiC) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), from the creation of SiC material to the formation of final system, through various expert contributions by several leading key figures in the field. The book contains high-quality up-to-date scientific information concerning SiC MEMS for harsh environments summarized concisely for students, academics, engineers and researchers in the field of SiC MEMS.This is the only book that addresses in a comprehensive manner the main advantages of SiC as a MEMS material for applications in high temperature and harsh environments, as well as approaches to the relevant technologies, with a view progressing towards the final product.

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The Human Genome Project has spawned a Renaissance of research faced with the daunting expectation of personalized medicine for individuals with sickle cell disease in the Genome Era. This book offers a comprehensive and timeless account of emerging concepts in clinical and basic science research, and community concerns of health disparity to educate professionals, students and the general public about meeting this challenging expectation. Contributions from physicians, research scientists, scientific administrators and community workers make Renaissance of Sickle Cell Disease Research in the Genome Era unique among the catalogue of books on this genetic disorder.Part 1 offers detailed review of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's leadership role in funding sickle cell research, as well as developing progressive research initiatives and the predicted impact of the Human Genome Project. Part 2 gives an account of several clinical research perspectives based on the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease. These include recommendations for newborn screening, pain management, stroke, transfusion therapy and pediatric and adult healthcare. Part 3 offers novel insights into basic science research progress and the impact of the Human Genome Project on the direction of hemoglobinopathy research, including hemoglobin switching, bone marrow transplantation and gene therapy. Part 4 engages the reader in a culture-based discussion of the stigma attached to sickle cell disease in the African American community and the apprehensions about genetic research in this community. It concludes with a global perspective on sickle cell disease from African, European and American experiences. For readers seeking a definitive account of sickle cell disease appropriate for students, researchers and community workers, this collaborative effort is an ideal textbook.

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The CCN Proteins are thought to play key roles in the biology of normal cell, tissue, organ, and body, and altered expression of CCN proteins is associated with several pathologies, including fibrosis and cancer. Because of its importance, the CCN field is expanding at a fast pace. Research articles in this field have recently increased logarithmically, and a book that is up-to-date, comprehensive, authoritative and affords insights into the biological roles of CCN proteins, is timely.CCN Protein: A New Family of Cell Growth and Differentiation Regulators presents the most recent progress in the field of CCN proteins, a new family of secretory signaling molecules that are involved in several fundamental biological progress. These proteins share a unique multimodular organization and present a partial identity with four families of regulatory proteins controling growth and development. The book covers the roles of CCN proteins in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation during normal development, wound repair, chondrogenesis and bone development, angiogenesis, tissue regeneration, fibrosis, renal diseases and cancer development.

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This book discusses issues associated with the quantum mechanical formulation of dissipative systems. It begins with an introductory review of phenomenological damping forces, and the construction of the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian for the damped motion. It is shown, in addition to these methods, that classical dissipative forces can also be derived from solvable many-body problems. A detailed discussion of these derived forces and their dependence on dynamical variables is also presented. The second part of this book investigates the use of classical formulation in the quantization of dynamical systems under the influence of dissipative forces. The results show that, while a satisfactory solution to the problem cannot be found, different formulations represent different approximations to the complete solution of two interacting systems. The third and final part of the book focuses on the problem of dissipation in interacting quantum mechanical systems, as well as the connection of some of these models to their classical counterparts. A number of important applications, such as the theory of heavy-ion scattering and the motion of a radiating electron, are also discussed.

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Cosmology is an unusual science with an unusual history. This book examines the formative years of modern cosmology from the perspective of its interaction with religious thought. As the first study of its kind, it reveals how closely associated the development of cosmology has been with considerations of a philosophical and religious nature. From nineteenth-century thermodynamics to the pioneering cosmological works of Georges Lemaître and Arthur E Milne, religion has shaped parts of modern cosmological theory. By taking the religious component seriously, a new and richer history of cosmology emerges.

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In this book, the issues regarding the theory of optics and quantum optics of spherical multilayered systems are studied. In such systems the spatial scale of layers becomes comparable with the wavelength of radiation, which complicates the analysis of important quantities such as reflectivity and transmission. Often, a large amount of time is spent on performing numerical calculations and simulation to elucidate the behavior of such electromagnetic properties. The author has written down the calculation details of important properties of multilayered microspheres in a more comprehensive manner, so that undergraduates and practitioners can follow them freely.From a skill-oriented point of view the book covers the following: electrodynamics of multilayered environments in the spherical geometry; methods of calculating both reflection and transmission coefficients from an alternating stack; calculations of eigenfrequencies and quality factors of electromagnetic oscillations; radial distribution of the electromagnetic field in a spherical cavity; computer methods of calculations with C++ as basic languages and construction of the graphic user interface (GUI); the object-oriented approach as a basis of the modern methods of calculation.

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This is a collection of 43 essays about the economics and management of information technology markets. The first part of the book focuses on events, notable birth dates and longstanding trends. The unifying theme revolves around the role of human economic behavior in the face of uncertainty and confusion. The contributors' intent is to explain, educate and entertain — to go beyond the obvious.The next part contains writing about the Internet. It discusses the development of the online commercial world, and analyzes the macroeconomic side of the investment boom and bust related to Internet activities. It also focuses on the measurement of economic activity in the digital economy.In addition, the book deals with how computers get used in organizations and discusses the Microsoft antitrust case. Finally, there are two long essays about economic constraints on strategic behavior in markets where standards and platforms matter.

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Engineering represents an ordered activity of creative design and inventive manufacture of ingenious devices. Its practitioners have thereby stimulated individuals, enlivened communities, enriched civilizations, and contributed to the shaping of cultures.The authors of this innovative text develop a systematic framework for engineering in time, making extensive use of adaptive heterogeneous progressions. When combined with considerations of feedback, feedforward, recursion, and branching, an evolving and comprehensive characterization of engineering becomes evident. It is in this blending of chronology, emerging theory, and professional practice that engineering finds its foundational role in innovative design, device reliability, intellectual property, technology risks, public safety, professional ethics, material accounting, and other recurring themes relevant to contemporary engineering. Engineering clearly emerges as a complex and increasingly important profession.The authors introduce concepts and methods — including a critical definition of engineering -and selectively adapt symbolic-mathematical relations. The technical level of analysis is suitable for the undergraduate curriculum commonly encountered in colleges of engineering.

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This book presents a practical guide to the analysis of materials and includes a thorough description of the underlying theories and instrumental aberrations caused by real experiments. The main emphasis concerns the analysis of thin films and multilayers, primarily semiconductors, although the techniques are very general. Semiconductors can be very perfect composite crystals and therefore their study can lead to the largest volume of information, since X-ray scattering can assess the deviation from perfection.The description is intentionally conceptual so that the reader can grasp the real processes involved. In this way the analysis becomes significantly easier, making the reader aware of misleading artifacts and assisting in the determination of a more complete and reliable analysis. The theory of scattering is very important and is covered in such a way that the assumptions are clear. Greatest emphasis is placed on the dynamical diffraction theory including new developments extending its applicability to reciprocal space mapping and modelling samples with relaxed and distorted interfaces.A practical guide to the measurement of diffraction patterns, including the smearing effects introduced to the measurement, is also presented.

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Fully updated, this revised edition describes the statistical aspects of both the design and analysis of trials, with particular emphasis on the more recent methods of analysis.About 8000 clinical trials are undertaken annually in all areas of medicine, from the treatment of acne to the prevention of cancer. Correct interpretation of the data from such trials depends largely on adequate design and on performing the appropriate statistical analyses. This book provides a useful guide to medical statisticians and others faced with the often difficult problems of designing and analysing clinical trials.

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This book describes a search for geological evidence of meteorite impact structures in Britain. The statistics of impact structures indicate that Britain should have Phanerozoic impact structures up to tens of kilometres in diameter. A constant theme is the importance of atmospheric break-up of small asteroids and comets. These fragmenting bodies produce anomalously shallow craters with low rims and central peaks; three British structures of this type are identified.Analysis of fireball statistics implies that damaging fireball explosions occur over the British Isles on a time-scale of decades. On a time-scale of millennia, however, more damage is done by Atlantic impact tsunami.

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The discovery of superconductivity at 30 K by Bednorz and Müller in 1986 ignited an explosion of interest in high temperature superconductivity. The initial development rapidly evolved into an intensive worldwide research effort — which still persists after more than a decade — to understand the phenomenon of cuprate superconductivity, to search for ways to raise the transition temperature and to produce materials which have the potential for technological applications.During the past decade of research on this subject, significant progress has been made on both the fundamental science and technological application fronts. A great deal of experimental data is now available on the cuprates, and various properties have been well characterized using high quality single crystals and thin films. Despite this enormous research effort, however, the underlying mechanisms responsible for superconductivity in the cuprates are still open to question.This book offers an understanding from the phase transition point of view, surveys and identifies thermal and quantum fluctuation effects, identifies material-independent universal properties and provides constraints for the microscopic description of the various phenomena. The text is presented in a format suitable for use in a graduate level course.

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Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is part of a range of emerging microscopic methods for biologists which offer the magnification range of both the light and electron microscope, but allow imaging under the 'natural' conditions usually associated with the light microscope. To biologists AFM offers the prospect of high resolution images of biological material, images of molecules and their interactions even under physiological conditions, and the study of molecular processes in living systems. This book provides a realistic appreciation of the advantages and limitations of the technique and the present and future potential for improving the understanding of biological systems.

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This is a unique book about natural catastrophes, focusing on the mathematical aspects of these phenomena. Although academic in style and didactic in purpose, it is practical in the treatment of the diverse issues covered, which range from hazard warning and forecasting to engineering design criteria and insurance loss estimation. Addressing as it does many mathematical topics not found together in a single volume, the book should be of value to all those with a quantitative educational interest in or professional concern for natural catastrophes.

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The fact that the World Health Organization has declared tuberculosis a “global emergency” indicates the serious inadequacy of the ways in which the control methods at our disposal are used. Several books on tuberculosis have been published in recent years, but none have taken a deep and detailed look at the “holistic” aspects of global tuberculosis control, even though international agencies are increasingly aware of the importance of the numerous factors other than the design and efficacy of therapeutic drug regimens. This unique book fills that gap. Although it deals specifically with tuberculosis, the principles outlined and discussed are relevant to many other areas of global medicine, including the ever-growing problem of HIV/AIDS.The book is aimed principally at those involved in the design, establishment and management of disease control programmes at international, national and local levels, and also at a more general readership of epidemiologists, public health officers, community psychologists, and others interested in understanding the human dimension of disease control.

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Venous diseases are among the most commonly encountered problems at primary care level, yet they are poorly understood and often mismanaged. This concise, highly illustrated book will fill the need of all primary care staff and trainees for clear information on the diagnosis and management of the different conditions and their complications.

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This book offers a comprehensive overview of the most recent developments in both total oxidation and combustion and also in selective oxidation. For each topic, fundamental aspects are paralleled with industrial applications. The book covers oxidation catalysis, one of the major areas of industrial chemistry, outlining recent achievements, current challenges and future opportunities. One distinguishing feature of the book is the selection of arguments which are emblematic of current trends in the chemical industry, such as miniaturization, use of alternative, greener oxidants, and innovative systems for pollutant abatement. Topics outlined are described in terms of both catalyst and reaction chemistry, and also reactor and process technology.

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Current research in genomics and pharmacogenomics is increasingly highlighting the need to move towards stratified disease descriptions and individualized treatment plans. This book explains how a confluence of recent biological, technological and methodological developments is making it possible to provide personalized diagnoses and treatments.By virtue of treating each person's condition as unique, personal genomics and personalized medicine require health professionals to understand the nature of the data, its health implications, and its limitations.This book provides a detailed scientific treatment of the emerging disciplines of personal genomics and personalized medicine. It also includes a comprehensive treatment of both the promises and challenges of personal genomics and medicine from technological, societal and medical perspectives. It offers a wide-ranging review of the state of the art across all aspects of a highly multi-disciplinary subject. This book will be immensely useful for practicing health professionals and researchers, as well as senior undergraduates and graduate students in biomedical sciences.

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This book compiles a collection of original scientific articles written by Professor Sir Alan Fersht over 40 years of his scientific career. A long-standing icon in the fields of enzymology, protein folding, and protein engineering, Sir Alan Fersht is also one of the world's greatest protein chemists, whose work has been extensively recognized by countless international awards in both chemistry and molecular biology. He has produced a number of classic papers that are cited regularly because of the originality of his work and his insightful analysis. The study of his work on the fusion of physical chemistry and molecular biology provides a course on how to approach the analysis of complex systems in a simple logical manner. His papers are models of clarity, benefitting students of protein chemistry in their understanding of the subject.The beginning of Sir Alan Fersht's career coincided with the birth of modern protein science based on structural biology, which started in earnest momentum in the 1960s. He worked in the then Mecca of molecular biology, the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, and was one of the first protein chemists to exploit the new area of structural biology. The papers are interlaced with personal comments on how each article was important in his career and how he was influenced by the galaxy of legendary scientists in the MRC.

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